Beverage container closure

ABSTRACT

A beverage container closure or lid that is adapted for closing an open end of a beverage container. The lid is selectively couplable to the beverage container and includes a selectively openable stopper that when closed, creates a fluid-tight seal between the beverage container and the environment. The stopper may be selectively opened by a user by the user pressing a button disposed on a side of the beverage container closure. The stopper is subsequently automatically closed when the user releases the button. Thus, a user may open and close the beverage container closure using a single hand without the need to remove the beverage container closure from the beverage container.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

The present invention is directed generally to lids for liquid storagevessels such as for beverage or food containers and more particularly tolids with movable components.

Description of the Related Art

Prior art lids are typically of one of three types. The first type is asolid unitary lid that does not include openings or apertures throughwhich the contents of a liquid storage vessel may exit the vessel. Todrink from the vessel, a user must remove the lid. The second type,which may also be of a unitary construction, includes one or moreunobstructed apertures through which the liquid may exit the vessel. Inthe second type, the apertures are always open. If the vessel isinadvertently tipped or dropped, the contents of the vessel may spill.The third type of lid includes one or more apertures through which theliquid may exit the vessel and a means for selectively opening andclosing the apertures. When using the third type of lid, the user mayselectively open the apertures to remove the contents from the vesseland selectively close the apertures to maintain the contents inside thevessel. Further, by closing the apertures, the lid may help insulate thecontents from the environment outside the vessel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top left side perspective view of a beverage containerclosure constructed in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the beverage container closure ofFIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a left side elevational view of the beverage container closureof FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a right side elevational view of the beverage containerclosure of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a rear elevational view of the beverage container closure ofFIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the beverage container closure of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a bottom plan view of the beverage container closure of FIG.1.

FIG. 8 is a top left side perspective view of the beverage containerclosure of FIG. 1, with a dust cover rotated away from the opening inthe beverage container closure to provide a user with access to theopening.

FIG. 9 is a top plan view of the beverage container closure of FIG. 8,with the dust cover rotated away from the opening in the beveragecontainer.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional left side elevational view of the beveragecontainer closure of FIG. 1 with a stopper of the beverage containerclosure in the closed position.

FIG. 11A is a top plan view of the beverage container closure of FIG. 1with the dust cover removed.

FIG. 11B is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 11B-11Bof FIG. 11A with the stopper in the closed position.

FIG. 12A is a top plan view of the beverage container closure of FIG. 1with the dust cover removed.

FIG. 12B is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 12B-12Bof FIG. 12A with the stopper in the opened position.

FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view of a stopper assembly of thebeverage container closure of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A beverage container closure or lid, in accordance with an embodiment ofthe present invention, is generally indicated by reference numeral 10 inFIG. 1. The lid 10 has a generally cylindrical main body 12 that isadapted for closing an open end of a conventional drinking vessel orbeverage container 8 (shown in dashed lines). The beverage container 8may be any suitable type of container such as the tumbler type (that is,without a handle) for use in automotive beverage receptacles, or fortransport in backpacks, book bags, and the like. The lid 10 isselectively couplable to the beverage container 8 by any suitable meanssuch as threads 54 disposed on an outer surface of a sidewall 52 of alower, downwardly depending portion 50 of the main body 12. The lid 10also includes a flexible o-ring seal member 56 (see FIG. 2) positionedadjacent the sidewall 52 of the lower portion 50 at a location near abottom surface of an upper portion 14 of the main body 12. Theparticular configuration for mating the lid 10 to the container 8 is amatter of choice for one of ordinary skill in the art. Thus, althoughthreads 54 and the seal member 56 have been shown in this embodiment,those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that any other meansfor attaching and sealing the lid 10 with respect to the beveragecontainer 8 may be substituted.

As best seen in FIG. 8, the upper portion 14 of the main body 12 alsoincludes a top rim portion 70 configured for contact with a user's lipswhen the entire assembly is tipped toward the user, such that the usermay drink from the beverage container 8 to which the lid 10 is attached.The upper portion 14 also includes an aperture or opening 64 configuredto permit fluid passage therethrough when a user drinks a beverage. Theupper portion further includes an air vent 65 (see FIG. 11A) that allowsliquid to flow more freely out of the beverage container 8 when a userdrinks therefrom.

Fluid communication between the upper portion 14 and the interior of thebeverage container 8 is controlled by way of a selectively openablestopper assembly 100, which may best be viewed in FIG. 13. The stopperassembly 100 includes a stopper 110 having a first raised portion 112configured for attachment of a stopper seal 102 thereto (e.g., by apress fit). The stopper seal 102 may be formed from a flexible materialand is shaped to be positioned over a top surface 114 (see FIG. 10) ofthe first raised portion 112. The stopper 110 also includes a secondraised portion 113 configured for attachment of a vent seal 117 thereto(e.g., by a press fit). Below the raised portions 112 and 113 of thestopper 110 is an angled base or body portion 115. Further, extending ina downward direction from the body portion 115 of the stopper 110 is acircumferential sidewall 118 that includes a circumferential groove 120(see FIG. 10) disposed on its inner surface. As discussed in furtherdetail below, the sidewall 118 and the groove 120 are configured toengage a ridge 172 of a stopper cap 170 via a press fit. The bodyportion 115 and stopper cap 170 of the stopper 110 form a fluid flowbarrier portion of the stopper spanning across the hollow interior bodyregion 36 of the main body 12 of the lid 10 with an outer edge of thebarrier portion located immediately adjacent to the main body sidewall52. As best seen in FIGS. 10, 11B and 12B, the barrier portion outeredge is spaced inward of the main body sidewall 52 to form a perimeterfluid flow pathway located outward of the barrier portion outer edge andadjacent to the main body sidewall during the entire travel of thestopper between the opened position and the closed position. Asdescribed below, a stopper sidewall 118 extends downwardly from the bodyportion 115 of the stopper 110 and forms a downwardly extendingperimeter sidewall along the outer perimeter of the barrier portion. Asbest seen in FIGS. 7 and 13, a plurality of vertically extending andlaterally projecting spacer portions 116 are located on the stoppersidewall 118 which forms the perimeter of the barrier portion and spacesthe perimeter apart from the main body sidewall 52.

The stopper 110 also comprises an upwardly extending cylindrical wall111 (see FIGS. 10 and 13) sized to be slightly larger than a downwardlyextending cylindrical wall 13 of the upper portion 14 of the main body12, such that the walls 13 and 111 may move axially freely intelescoping fashion with respect to each other when the lid 10 isoperated by a user as described below. The stopper 110 also includes apair of spaced apart cam follower surfaces 119A and 1196 (or “camfollowers”) disposed on the base portion 115 of the stopper on opposingsides of the upwardly extending cylindrical wall 111. The functionalityof the cam followers 119A and 119B are described herein below.

As may best be viewed in FIG. 10, the stopper cap 170 includes acircumferential ridge 172 for engagement (e.g., a snap fit) with thegroove 120 of the stopper 110. The stopper cap 170 further includes anopening defined by an annular-shaped edge 176, and a bottom surface 174.These features are described below. When the stopper cap 170 is coupledto the stopper 110, an interior hollow region 123 is formed. To provideinsulation between the interior of the beverage container 8 and theenvironment, an insulating substance, such as a ring of styrene, may beplaced within the interior hollow region 123 of the stopper 110.

The stopper assembly 100 also includes a stopper cover 150 (see FIG. 10)configured for retaining the stopper assembly within a hollow interiorregion 36 of the main body 12. The stopper cover 150 includes a baseportion 152 including a plurality of spaced apart apertures or openings156 disposed therein to allow for fluid passage therethrough. Further,the stopper cover 150 comprises an upwardly extending substantiallycylindrically-shaped rod 161 terminating with an engagement portion 162with external threads. As shown, the rod 161 passes through the openingdefined by the annular-shaped edge 176 in the stopper cap 170, andthrough a downwardly extending cylindrical wall 121 of the stopper 110,where it is threadably engaged with a stopper cover engagement portion22 (with internal threads) of the downwardly extending cylindrical wall13 of the upper portion 14 of the main body 12, thereby securing thestopper cover 150 (and the other components of the stopper assembly 100)to the main body 12 of the lid 10.

As may best be viewed in FIG. 10, the stopper assembly 100 furtherincludes a stopper biasing member (in the illustrated embodiment, aspring) 144 configured for biasing the stopper 110 into the closedposition which provides a fluid-tight seal for the lid 10. The stopperbiasing member 144 is sized to have a diameter that is slightly largerthan the upwardly extending substantially cylindrically-shaped rod 161of the stopper cover 150, such that the stopper biasing member may bepositioned over the rod 161 and between a top surface 155 of the baseportion 152 of the stopper cover 150 and an inner bottom surface 174 ofthe stopper cap 170 (see FIG. 10).

As may best be viewed in FIGS. 11B, 12B, and 13, the stopper assembly100 further includes an actuating member 130 configured for acting onthe cam followers 119A and 119B of the stopper 110 to selectively movethe stopper between the opened position and the closed position. Theactuating member 130 includes first and second cam surfaces 133A and133B (or “stopper engagement portions”) spaced apart from each other andconfigured for slidable engagement with the first and second camfollowers 119A and 119B (or “actuating member engagement portions”),respectively, of the stopper 110. The cam surfaces 133A and 133B areeach ramp-shaped and are angled downward from a distal end 134 toward aproximal end 132 of the actuating member 130 (see FIGS. 11B and 12B). Asdescribed below, the cam surfaces 133A and 133B engage the cam followersurfaces 119A and 119B, respectively, to move the stopper 110 betweenthe closed and opened positions (shown in FIGS. 11B and 12B,respectively). The actuating member 130 further includes a rod 140 (seeFIG. 13) disposed at the proximal end 132 sized and shaped to beinserted (e.g., press fit) into a recessed portion of a button 30 (seeFIGS. 10 and 13) configured to permit a user to actuate the actuatingmember 130 by simply pressing the button inward.

The operation of the stopper assembly 100 is now described withreference to FIGS. 11B and 12B, which show cut-away left sideelevational views of the lid 10 when the stopper 110 is in the sealed orclosed position (FIG. 11B) and the opened position (FIG. 12B). As can beseen, the stopper assembly 100 is positioned within the hollow interiorregion 36 of the main body 12. The engagement portion 162 of the stoppercover 150 is engaged with the stopper cover engagement portion 22 of thedownwardly extending cylindrical wall 13 of the upper portion 14disposed in the hollow interior region 36 of the main body 12. Forexample, the stopper cover 150 may be threadably engaged with the mainbody 12 to retain the stopper cover and the other components of thestopper assembly 100.

As shown in FIG. 11B, the stopper seal 102 is in contact with thestopper seal engagement portion 68 that defines the opening 64 of themain body 12. In this regard, when the stopper 100 is in the closedposition shown in FIG. 11B, the stopper seal 102 and the vent seal 117(see FIG. 10) are pressed against the stopper seal engagement portion 68and a vent seal engagement portion 69, respectively, of the main body 12by the biasing member 144 to provide a fluid-tight seal between thecontainer 8 to which the lid 10 is attached and the environment.

The actuating member 130 is situated such that the first and second camsurfaces 133A and 133B are aligned over and in contact with the firstand second cam followers 119A and 119B, respectively, of the stopper110. The proximal end 132 of the actuating member 130 is situated withinan opening in a rear portion 20 (see FIGS. 10 and 13) of the main body12 formed by a circumferential wall 26. In turn, the button 30 iscoupled to the actuating member 130 (e.g., by a press fit) to allow auser to actuate the actuating member by pressing inward on the button. Abutton biasing member (e.g., a spring) 32 is positioned over thecircumferential wall 26 in a space 34 between the wall 26 and asurrounding outer wall 24 forming a recess in the rear portion 20 of themain body 12. The button biasing member 32 is operative to bias thebutton 30 and the actuating member 130 coupled thereto to the outwardposition shown in FIG. 11B which corresponds to the closed position ofthe stopper 110 and tends to bias the actuating member 130 toward thatposition. Further, a button ring seal member 28 (see FIGS. 10 and 13)may be disposed around a forward stem portion of the button 30 andinward of the circumferential wall 26 to provide a fluid-tight sealtherebetween to prevent leakage to the environment.

In operation, a user may depress the button 30 which in turn causes theactuating member 130 to be displaced in an inward, substantiallyhorizontal direction (from the right to the left in the views shown inFIGS. 11B and 12B). As the actuating member 130 is displaced, the firstand second cam surfaces 133A and 133B of the actuating member 130slidably engage the first and second cam follower surfaces 119A and119B, respectively, of the stopper 110. Since the first and second camsurfaces 133A and 133B each slope downward from the distal end 134toward the proximal end 132 of the actuating member 130, the first andsecond cam follower surfaces 119A and 119B (and thus the stopper 110)are moved in a downward direction as the actuating member 130 isdisplaced inward, as shown in FIG. 12B. As can be appreciated, as thestopper 110 is moved in a downward direction, a gap 38 (see FIG. 12B) isformed between the stopper seal 102 and the stopper seal engagementportion 68 of the main body 12 such that fluid may pass through theopening 64. Further, a gap is also formed simultaneously between thevent seal 65 and the vent seal engagement portion 69 of the main body 12allowing air to pass through the vent opening 65 such that fluid maypass through the opening 64 more freely. It should be appreciated thatalthough in this embodiment the actuating member 130 includes the camsurfaces 133A and 133B and the stopper 110 includes the cam followers119A and 119B, in other embodiments the actuating member 130 may includeone or more cam followers and the stopper 110 may include one or morecorresponding cam surfaces.

The lid 10 also comprises a selectively rotatable, exterior dust cover180 engaged with the upper portion 14 of the main body 12 that isoperative to cover the openings 64 and 65 when a user is not using thelid (see FIG. 1). The dust cover 180 comprises a downwardly extendingbutton covering portion 182 (or “actuating member covering portion” or“locking member”). The button covering portion/locking member 182 andthe button 30 comprise a locking mechanism as described herein. Thebutton covering portion 182 of the locking mechanism extends over thebutton 30 to prohibit accidental activation of the button 30 (and thusthe actuating member 130) when the lid is not in use and the dust coveris rotated into position to cover the openings 64 and 65 (see FIG. 5),during which time the stopper 110 would be in the closed position shownin FIG. 11 B. The button covering portion 182 also includes a horizontalthin strip or tongue 184 (see FIG. 10) sized to slidably fit within ahorizontal corresponding groove 15 (see FIGS. 3 and 10) disposed on theperimeter of an outer surface of the upper portion 14 of the main body12. Thus, a user may selectively rotate the dust cover 180 from a firstposition wherein the dust cover covers the openings 64 and 65 and aportion of the button 30 (see FIGS. 1 and 5), to a second position shownin FIGS. 8 and 9 wherein the dust cover does not cover the openings andthe button so that the user may operate the lid 10 as described above todrink a fluid housed in the container 8 to which the lid is attached.

As can be appreciated, the assembly described above may be disassembledby a user for cleaning if desired. As may best be viewed in FIGS. 10 and13, a user may simply unscrew the stopper cover 150 from the stoppercover engagement portion 22 of the main body 12, which will release thestopper 110 (and the stopper cap 170 connected thereto), the stoppercover 150, and the stopper biasing member 144 from the hollow interiorregion 36 of the main body. Once these components have been cleaned, theuser may then reassemble the lid 10 by first inserting the stopper 110back into the hollow interior region 36 of the main body 12. Then, theuser may position the stopper biasing member 144 over the rod 161 of thestopper cover 150, and threadably connect the engagement portion 162 ofthe stopper cover with the stopper cover engagement portion 22 of themain body 12, thereby securing the stopper 110 within the hollowinterior portion 36 of the main body.

Further, since both the actuating member 130 and the stopper 110 arebiased by the button biasing member 32 and the stopper biasing member144, respectively, the stopper 110 automatically returns to the sealedor closed position (shown in FIG. 11B) once the user removes pressurefrom the button 30. In this regard, the user may open and drink from thecontainer 8 shown in FIG. 1 to which the lid 10 is attached using onehand by simply pressing the button 30 inward with a finger whileconsuming a beverage and releasing the button thereafter toautomatically reseal the container. As can be appreciated, the abilityto open, drink from, and close a container using only one hand may bedesirable for various active users including bicyclists, hikers,drivers, and the like.

When the lid 10 is coupled to the open end of the container 8, in anoperable position of the stopper 110 shown in FIGS. 10, 11B and 12B, thebutton 30 can operate the actuating member 130 (a trigger assembly),with the stopper seal 102 (a drink seal) attached to the raised portion112 of the stopper assembly 100. The stopper 110 is manually movablebetween the operable position shown in FIGS. 10, 11B and 12B with thestopper at least partially within the lid, and a cleaning position withthe stopper 110, preferably fully removed from within the lid as it isshown in FIG. 13. In the operable position of the stopper 110, theactuating member 130, in response to inward movement of the button 30,is capable of engaging the stopper 110 (particularly the first andsecond cam surfaces 133A and 133B engaging the cam surfaces 119A and119B) for movement of the stopper 110, and hence the stopper seal 102,from the closed position to the opened position (shown in FIGS. 11B and12B, respectively). In the cleaning position of the stopper 110, thestopper 110 is sufficiently moves outward of the lower end of the lid 10that the actuating member 130 cannot engage the stopper 110 when thebutton is pressed inward (particularly the first and second cam surfaces133A and 133B cannot engage the cam surfaces 119A and 119B) toeffectuate movement of the stopper and the stopper seal from the closedposition to the opened position. In the illustrated embodiment, thestopper 110 is removably positioned in the lid for movement from theoperable position to the cleaning position whereat the stopper member isfully removed from the lid and detached from the lid. In alternativeembodiments, the stopper 110 may be pivotally attached to the lid 10using a multi-link arrangement for pivotal movement between the operableposition and the cleaning position and can be fully or partially removedfrom the lid while remaining attached to the lid when in the cleaningposition, or may be attached to the lid by a flexible tether and can befully or partially removed from the lid while remaining attached to thelid when in the cleaning position.

The foregoing described embodiments depict different componentscontained within, or connected with, different other components. It isto be understood that such depicted architectures are merely exemplary,and that in fact many other architectures can be implemented whichachieve the same functionality. In a conceptual sense, any arrangementof components to achieve the same functionality is effectively“associated” such that the desired functionality is achieved. Hence, anytwo components herein combined to achieve a particular functionality canbe seen as “associated with” each other such that the desiredfunctionality is achieved, irrespective of architectures or intermedialcomponents. Likewise, any two components so associated can also beviewed as being “operably connected”, or “operably coupled”, to eachother to achieve the desired functionality.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shownand described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that,based upon the teachings herein, changes and modifications may be madewithout departing from this invention and its broader aspects and,therefore, the appended claims are to encompass within their scope allsuch changes and modifications as are within the true spirit and scopeof this invention. Furthermore, it is to be understood that theinvention is solely defined by the appended claims. It will beunderstood by those within the art that, in general, terms used herein,and especially in the appended claims (e.g., bodies of the appendedclaims) are generally intended as “open” terms (e.g., the term“including” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” theterm “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” the term“includes” should be interpreted as “includes but is not limited to,”etc.).

It will be further understood by those within the art that if a specificnumber of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such an intentwill be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of suchrecitation no such intent is present. For example, as an aid tounderstanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of theintroductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more” to introduce claimrecitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed toimply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinitearticles “a” or “an” limits any particular claim containing suchintroduced claim recitation to inventions containing only one suchrecitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases“one or more” or “at least one” and indefinite articles such as “a” or“an” (e.g., “a” and/or “an” should typically be interpreted to mean “atleast one” or “one or more”); the same holds true for the use ofdefinite articles used to introduce claim recitations. In addition, evenif a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitlyrecited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitationshould typically be interpreted to mean at least the recited number(e.g., the bare recitation of “two recitations,” without othermodifiers, typically means at least two recitations, or two or morerecitations).

Accordingly, the invention is not limited except as by the appendedclaims.

1.-89. (canceled)
 90. A lid for use with a beverage container,comprising: a lid housing configured for removable attachment to thebeverage container, the lid housing having a main body with an upperportion and a sidewall portion extending downward from the upperportion, the upper portion being stationary relative to the sidewallportion, the upper portion and the sidewall portion defining adownwardly open interior lid cavity extending downward from the upperportion and having an open lower end, the upper portion including adrink opening; a drink seal support member connected to the lid housingand having a drink seal positioned at least partially within the lidcavity and below the upper portion, the drink seal being movable betweena closed position closing the drink opening and an opened positionopening the drink opening; a trigger connected to the lid housing andoperable to move the drink seal support member to move the drink sealfrom the closed position to the opened position, movement of the triggerin an actuation direction resulting in the drink seal support membermoving the drink seal downward away the upper portion to position thedrink seal in the opened position; and a retainer member releasablyretaining the drink seal support member in a use position for movementof the drink seal from the closed position to the opened position inresponse to movement of the trigger in the actuation direction, theretainer member being operable to release the drink seal support memberto permit movement of the drink seal support member to a cleaningposition whereat the drink seal is moved away from an underside surfaceportion of the upper portion through which the drink opening extendssuch that the drink opening is open for cleaning the lid.
 91. The lid ofclaim 90, further including an air vent separate from the drink openingand a vent seal, the trigger being operable to move the vent seal from aclosed position closing the vent to an opened position opening the vent.92. The lid of claim 90, wherein the actuation direction of the triggeris transverse to a longitudinal axis of the lid housing when the triggeris operated to move the drink seal from the closed position to theopened position.
 93. The lid of claim 90, wherein the drink seal hasnon-rotational movement when moving between the closed position and theopened position.
 94. The lid of claim 90, wherein the drink seal movesbetween the closed position and the opened position along a linear pathof travel.
 95. The lid of claim 94, where the linear path of travel isaligned with a longitudinal axis of the lid housing.
 96. The lid ofclaim 90, wherein when the drink seal support member is in the cleaningposition, movement of the trigger in the actuation direction does notproduce movement of the drink seal between the closed position and theopened position.
 97. A lid for use with a beverage container,comprising: a lid housing configured for removable attachment to thebeverage container, the lid housing having a main body with an upperportion and a sidewall portion extending downward from the upperportion, the upper portion being stationary relative to the sidewallportion, the upper portion and the sidewall portion defining adownwardly open interior lid cavity extending downward from the upperportion and having an open lower end, the upper portion including adrink opening; a drink seal positioned at least partially within the lidcavity and below the upper portion, the drink seal being movable betweena closed first position closing the drink opening and an opened secondposition fully opening the drink opening for drinking through the drinkopening; a trigger connected to the lid housing and operable to move thedrink seal from the closed first position to the opened second position,movement of the trigger in an actuation direction resulting in movementof the drink seal downward away from the upper portion to position thedrink seal in the opened second position; and a retainer memberreleasably retaining the drink seal in a use position for movement ofthe drink seal from the closed position to the opened position inresponse to movement of the trigger in the actuation direction, theretainer member being operable to release the drink seal to permitmovement of the drink seal to a cleaning third position whereat thedrink seal is moved farther away from an underside surface portion ofthe upper portion through which the drink opening extends than when thedrink seal is in the opened second position such that the drink openingis open for cleaning the lid.
 98. The lid of claim 97, further includingan air vent separate from the drink opening and a vent seal, the triggerbeing operable to move the vent seal from a closed position closing thevent to an opened position opening the vent.
 99. The lid of claim 97,wherein the actuation direction of the trigger is transverse to alongitudinal axis of the lid housing when the trigger is operated tomove the drink seal from the closed first position to the opened secondposition.
 100. The lid of claim 97, wherein the drink seal hasnon-rotational movement when moving between the closed first positionand the opened second position.
 101. The lid of claim 97, wherein thedrink seal moves between the closed first position and the opened secondposition along a linear path of travel.
 102. The lid of claim 101, wherethe linear path of travel is aligned with a longitudinal axis of the lidhousing.
 103. The lid of claim 97, wherein when the drink seal is in thecleaning third position, movement of the trigger does not producemovement of the drink seal between the closed first position and theopened second position. 104.-110. (canceled)
 111. A beverage container,comprising: a container body having an open upper end portion; and a lidhaving: a lid housing removably attachable to the open upper end portionof the container body, the lid housing having a main body with an upperportion and a sidewall portion extending downward from the upperportion, the upper portion being stationary relative to the sidewallportion, the upper portion and the sidewall portion defining adownwardly open interior lid cavity extending downward from the upperportion and having an open lower end, the upper portion including adrink opening; a drink seal positioned at least partially within the lidcavity and below the upper portion, the drink seal being movable betweena closed first position closing the drink opening and an opened secondposition fully opening the drink opening for drinking through the drinkopening; a trigger connected to the lid housing and operable to move thedrink seal from the closed first position to the opened second position,movement of the trigger in an actuation direction resulting in movementof the drink seal downward away from the upper portion to position thedrink seal in the opened second position; and a retainer memberreleasably retaining the drink seal in a use position for movement ofthe drink seal from the closed position to the opened position inresponse to movement of the trigger in the actuation direction, theretainer member being operable to release the drink seal to permitmovement of the drink seal to a cleaning third position whereat thedrink seal is moved farther away from an underside surface portion ofthe upper portion through which the drink opening extends than when thedrink seal is in the opened second position such that the drink openingis open for cleaning the lid.
 112. The beverage container of claim 111,further including an air vent separate from the drink opening and a ventseal, the trigger being operable to move the vent seal from a closedposition closing the vent to an opened position opening the vent. 113.The beverage container of claim 111, wherein the actuation direction ofthe trigger is transverse to a longitudinal axis of the lid housing whenthe trigger is operated to move the drink seal from the closed firstposition to the opened second position.
 114. The beverage container ofclaim 111, wherein the drink seal has non-rotational movement whenmoving between the closed first position and the opened second position.115. The beverage container of claim 111, wherein the drink seal movesbetween the closed first position and the opened second position along alinear path of travel.
 116. The beverage container of claim 115, wherethe linear path of travel is aligned with a longitudinal axis of the lidhousing.
 117. The beverage container of claim 111, wherein when thedrink seal is in the cleaning third position, movement of the triggerdoes not produce movement of the drink seal between the closed firstposition and the opened second position.
 118. The beverage container ofclaim 111, wherein a portion of the upper portion extending about thedrink opening defines a drink opening seat for the drink seal, and whenin the closed first position, the drink seal seals the drink opening atthe drink opening seat to close the drink opening, and when in theopened second position, the drink seal unseals the drink opening at thedrink opening seat to open the drink opening.
 119. The beveragecontainer of claim 111, wherein the retainer member is operable topermit selective physical disconnection of the drink seal from the lidhousing for cleaning of the lid with the lid housing and drink sealseparated from each other.
 120. The beverage container of claim 111,wherein when the drink seal is in the cleaning third position, thetrigger is operably disengaged from the drink seal and thereby preventsmovement of the trigger in the actuation direction from moving the drinkseal from the closed first position to the opened second position. 121.The lid of claim 90, wherein the retainer member extends through anaperture of the drink seal support member, when the retainer member isretaining the drink seal support member in the use position, the drinkseal support member is movable along the retainer member to move thedrink seal from the closed position to the opened position in responseto movement of the trigger in the actuation direction.
 122. The lid ofclaim 121, wherein the retainer member has an upper end portion attachedto the lid housing and a lower end portion extending downward beyond alower end of the aperture of the drink seal support member.
 123. The lidof claim 121, wherein the retainer member has an upper end portionremovably attached to the lid housing and a lower end portion, and whenthe upper end portion is detached from the lid housing, the retainermember is operable to release the drink seal support member to permitmovement of the drink seal support member to the cleaning position. 124.The lid of claim 121, wherein the retainer member has an upper endportion selectively detachable from the lid housing and removable fromthe aperture of the drink seal support member.
 125. The lid of claim124, wherein the retainer member is rotatable relative to both the lidhousing and the drink seal support member to detach the upper endportion from the lid housing.
 126. The lid of claim 124, wherein theupper end portion is threadably attached to the lid housing.
 127. Thelid of claim 121, further including a spring, and wherein the retainermember has an upper end portion attached to the lid housing and a lowerend portion, and when the drink seal support member is in the useposition, the spring has an upper end spring portion engaging the drinkseal support member and a lower spring portion engaging the lower endportion to bias the drink seal support member upward to move the drinkseal toward the closed position, the spring being out of directengagement with the lid housing.
 128. The lid of claim 90, wherein theretainer member is operable to release the drink seal support memberfrom the lid housing to permit selective physical disconnection of thedrink seal support member from the lid housing for cleaning of the lidwith the lid housing and drink seal separated from each other.
 129. Thelid of claim 90, wherein when the drink seal support member is in thecleaning position, the trigger is operably disengaged from the drinkseal support member and thereby prevents movement of the trigger in theactuation direction from moving the drink seal from the closed positionto the opened position.
 130. The lid of claim 97, wherein when theretainer member is retaining the drink seal in the use position, thedrink seal is movable along the retainer member to move the drink sealfrom the closed first position to the opened second position in responseto movement of the trigger in the actuation direction.
 131. The lid ofclaim 130, wherein the retainer member has an upper end portion attachedto the lid housing.
 132. The lid of claim 131, wherein the upper endportion is removably attached to the lid housing, and when the upper endportion is detached from the lid housing, the retainer member isoperable to release the drink seal to permit movement of the drink sealto the cleaning third position.
 133. The lid of claim 131, wherein theretainer member is rotatable relative to both the lid housing and thedrink seal to detach the upper end portion from the lid housing. 134.The lid of claim 130, further including a spring, and wherein theretainer member has an upper end portion attached to the lid housing anda lower end portion, and when the drink seal is in the use position, thespring has an upper end spring portion engaging the drink seal and alower spring portion engaging the lower end portion to bias the drinkseal upward toward the closed first position, the spring being out ofdirect engagement with the lid housing.
 135. The lid of claim 97,wherein a portion of the upper portion extending about the drink openingdefines a drink opening seat for the drink seal, and when in the closedfirst position, the drink seal seals the drink opening at the drinkopening seat to close the drink opening, and when in the opened secondposition, the drink seal unseals the drink opening at the drink openingseat to open the drink opening.
 136. The lid of claim 97, wherein theretainer member is operable to permit selective physical disconnectionof the drink seal from the lid housing for cleaning of the lid with thelid housing and drink seal separated from each other.
 137. The lid ofclaim 97, wherein when the drink seal is in the cleaning third position,the trigger is operably disengaged from the drink seal and therebyprevents movement of the trigger in the actuation direction from movingthe drink seal from the closed first position to the opened secondposition.
 138. A lid for use with a beverage container, comprising: alid housing configured for removable attachment to the beveragecontainer, the lid housing having a main body with an upper portion anda sidewall portion extending downward from the upper portion, the upperportion being stationary relative to the sidewall portion, the upperportion and the sidewall portion defining a downwardly open interior lidcavity extending downward from the upper portion and having an openlower end, the upper portion including a drink opening; a drink sealpositioned at least partially within the lid cavity and below the upperportion, the drink seal being movable between a closed first positionclosing the drink opening and an opened second position opening thedrink opening for drinking through the drink opening; a triggerconnected to the lid housing and operable to move the drink seal fromthe closed first position to the opened second position, with thetrigger being in a first trigger position when the drink seal is in theclosed first position and in a second trigger position when the drinkseal is in the opened second position, movement of the trigger in anactuation direction being limited to movement of the trigger to thesecond trigger position, and movement of the trigger in the actuationdirection to the second trigger position resulting in movement of thedrink seal to the opened second position; and a retainer memberretaining the drink seal in a use position for movement of the drinkseal from the closed position to the opened position in response tomovement of the trigger in the actuation direction from the firsttrigger position to the second trigger position, and without requiringmovement of the trigger in the actuation direction, the retainer memberis operable to permit movement of the drink seal to a cleaning thirdposition whereat the drink opening is more open than when the drink sealis in the opened second position to permit greater access to the drinkopening for cleaning the lid than when the drink seal is in the openedsecond position.
 139. The lid of claim 138, wherein a portion of theupper portion extending about the drink opening defines a drink openingseat for the drink seal, and when in the closed first position, thedrink seal seals the drink opening at the drink opening seat to closethe drink opening, and when in the opened second position, the drinkseal unseals the drink opening at the drink opening seat to open thedrink opening.
 140. The lid of claim 138, wherein the retainer member isoperable to permit selective physical disconnection of the drink sealfrom the lid housing for cleaning of the lid with the lid housing anddrink seal separated from each other.
 141. The lid of claim 138, whereinwhen the drink seal is in the cleaning third position, the trigger isoperably disengaged from the drink seal and thereby prevents movement ofthe trigger in the actuation direction from moving the drink seal fromthe closed first position to the opened second position.
 142. A lid foruse with a beverage container, comprising: a lid housing configured forremovable attachment to the beverage container, the lid housing having amain body with an upper portion and a sidewall portion extendingdownward from the upper portion, the upper portion being stationaryrelative to the sidewall portion, the upper portion and the sidewallportion defining a downwardly open interior lid cavity extendingdownward from the upper portion and having an open lower end, the upperportion including a drink opening; a drink seal support member connectedto the lid housing and having a drink seal positioned at least partiallywithin the lid cavity and below the upper portion, the drink seal beingmovable between a closed position closing the drink opening and anopened position opening the drink opening; a trigger connected to thelid housing and operable to move the drink seal support member to movethe drink seal from the closed position to the opened position, movementof the trigger in an actuation direction resulting in the drink sealsupport member moving the drink seal downward away the upper portion toposition the drink seal in the opened position; and a retainer memberreleasably retaining the drink seal support member in a use position formovement of the drink seal from the closed position to the openedposition in response to movement of the trigger in the actuationdirection, the retainer member being operable to permit selectivephysical disconnection of the drink seal support member from the lidhousing for cleaning of the lid with the lid housing and drink sealsupport member separated from each other.
 143. The lid of claim 142,wherein a portion of the upper portion extending about the drink openingdefines a drink opening seat for the drink seal, and when in the closedposition, the drink seal seals the drink opening at the drink openingseat to close the drink opening, and when in the opened position, thedrink seal unseals the drink opening at the drink opening seat to openthe drink opening.
 144. The lid of claim 142, wherein the retainermember is threadably attached to the lid housing.
 145. A lid for usewith a beverage container, comprising: a lid housing configured forremovable attachment to the beverage container, the lid housing having amain body with an upper portion and a sidewall portion extendingdownward from the upper portion, the upper portion being stationaryrelative to the sidewall portion, the upper portion and the sidewallportion defining a downwardly open interior lid cavity extendingdownward from the upper portion and having an open lower end, the upperportion including a drink opening; a drink seal support member connectedto the lid housing and having a drink seal positioned at least partiallywithin the lid cavity and below the upper portion, the drink seal beingmovable between a closed position closing the drink opening and anopened position opening the drink opening for drinking from the lid; atrigger connected to the lid housing and operable to move the drink sealsupport member to move the drink seal from the closed position to theopened position, movement of the trigger in an actuation directionresulting in the drink seal support member moving the drink sealdownward away the upper portion to position the drink seal in the openedposition; and a retainer member releasably retaining the drink sealsupport member in a use position in operational connection with thetrigger for movement of the drink seal from the closed position to theopened position for drinking in response to movement of the trigger inthe actuation direction, the retainer member being operable to releasethe drink seal support member from operational connection with thetrigger to permit movement of the drink seal support member to acleaning position without requiring movement of the trigger in theactuation direction and when in the cleaning position the drink seal ismoved farther away from an underside surface portion of the upperportion through which the drink opening extends than when in the openedposition for drinking.
 146. The lid of claim 145, wherein a portion ofthe upper portion extending about the drink opening defines a drinkopening seat for the drink seal, and when in the closed position, thedrink seal seals the drink opening at the drink opening seat to closethe drink opening, and when in the opened position, the drink sealunseals the drink opening at the drink opening seat to open the drinkopening.
 147. The lid of claim 145, wherein when the drink seal supportmember is in the cleaning position, the trigger is physically disengagedfrom the drink seal support member and thereby prevents movement of thetrigger in the actuation direction from moving the drink seal from theclosed position to the opened position.